Breath of Life
by AllShesGotxCaptain
Summary: Anora is the village oddity. She seems to be made of dragon repellent. Now that her half sister, Astrid, is happily married to Hiccup there is not much left for her and she does her best to avoid the village. As well as the annoying newcomer. As she discovers secrets about her father and finds something in the cove her world will forever change. Eret/OC Rated M*Lemons


**A/N: So I've been bit by the How to Train Your Dragon fever. I just saw the second movie in theaters and if you haven't seen it please don't read much further! This story followed events of the movies (I haven't read the books) and I've tweaked even those events with Astrid's sister existing and all. Anywho please and feel free to review! They make my smile. Oh yes and this rated M so expect violence, cursing and naughty chapters later one. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters/content from How to Train Your Dragon books or films.**

**Breath of Life**

**Chapter 1: Primroses**

I leaned against the tree and breathed deeply.

The woodland areas of Berk seemed to be the only place I could find peace. It was quiet here with occasional squall of seagulls or faint roaring of the dragons in the village. Raven's Point offered solace against the blundering Vikings I so obviously didn't blend well with. It wasn't such a major issue before, not with my half sister scaring off anyone who dare make fun of my five-foot one height or lack of athleticism. Astrid was always a bit too protective for a younger sibling but that was before.

Before Hiccup found Toothless. Before the dragons came to Berk. Or when Hiccup named chief of the village only six months ago.

Now she seemed too preoccupied with her new friends and boyfriend, and I even more so an oddity.

My eyes fell open and I toyed with the white and yellow-centered flowers that sprang up beneath the roots of the tree I rested against. The primroses a much more welcomed sight than the shards of ice that still lingered around the village.

"Anora!"

The wind picked up around me and ruffled the pages of the open book that lay across my lap. Strands of my raven hair that strayed from my braid danced around my face and reached towards the sky. My eyes widened at the dark form of one Astrid's friends and dragon trainer landing in the small alcove of pine trees.

So much for my sanctum of peace.

"Snotlout?"

"Yeah, what in Helheim are you doing all the way out here in the dumb forest?" The dark haired rider landed his Nightmare upon the grass and lumbered his way off the dragon. "The wedding is in an hour and your sister is going to kick my ass if—"

"Mother of Thor!" I scrambled from the nook between the tree I was nestled in. "Shit, the wedding… that's today. Oh man!"

"Easy kid," Snotloud placed an uninvited hand no my lower back. "Just hop on ol' Hookfang here and we'll get you to the village and into a pretty flowered tunic before you can say—"

"Listen, _kid, _I'm twenty-two meaning two years older than you." I removed his hand. "And you know that I can't go with you."

"Oh come on," Snotlout ran a meaty hand through his unkempt hair. "Look I know that most dragons think you smell bad or you're some kind of freak but Hookfang here isn't going to bite with me around."

I raised a skeptical brow and focused on the large animal behind Snotlout's massive form. Hookfang seemed preoccupied with the long blades of grass tickling just beneath his chin and belly. A large purr emanating from him in a rumble and his large thin fangs protruding from his lower jaw snapped in delight. He picked up our shift in focus and rolled to attention.

His large warm irises grew into slits surrounded by a blazing orange the moment we made eye contact. The rumble in his chest deepened from a purr to a warning growl.

I looked away and clutched the book closer to my chest.

"Hookfang you stop that." Snotlout chastised and strode up to his companion. "She's doesn't look _that _bad."

Snotlout laughed at his own joke.

Hookfang didn't seem to think it was funny as his thin red and black spiked tail curling around his rider protectively. Smoke tendrils fell from his nostrils and it waited from me to make my move.

"I-I'll start heading home now." I backed away slowly, my feet caught on a raised root and I stumbled. "Just if you see her, tell Astrid I'm going to be there and it'll all be fine."

"Fine." Snotlout shrugged as if uninterested but his beady eyes shifted from his dragon to me in thought. "But if my dumb cousin and your stupid sister get upset because you're late it's not my fault."

"Screw you Snotface." I bit back, embarrassment and anger constricted my throat.

"Maybe in two more years kid!" He called as Hookfang rose into the air, his spindly wings flapping and whipping the trees and my hair with huge gusts of win.

Then they were gone and I was alone.

I was also terribly late.

"Shit."

/~~*~~\

"Where is that girl!?"

I could hear my mother's voice trailing from our kitchen as I silently crept into our home. The logs of the door giving a betraying groan yet the voices in the room just behind our stairs seemed preoccupied. They moved closer and I stayed hidden beneath the half cut logs of our staircase.

"Darling relax I'm sure Anora is just… getting ready that's all." I observed a lean arm swooped around the woman's shoulders, his blonde beard brushing against her cheek fondly. "She'll be here."

"The wedding is in half an hour Edvin!" Mother pulled away and fussed with her dark curls. "Astrid is pacing and is going to destroy her wedding tunic if she tugs at it any longer meanwhile her sister is Thor knows where. Have I failed in raising them to know when they must be still and needed?"

"You worry too much Anaid." Edvin placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "Our daughters will be fine and they need their mother to be calm on this day."

My mouth twitched when he said 'our daughters'. Edvin was as kind as a Viking could be and never ostracized me from the family even though he was not my biological father. Yet he looked so much like Astrid, or she like him, that I always felt odd being apart of their pack. They both were tall and with lean than rather bulky muscle. Yet Astrid inherited mother's striking blue eyes.

I was rather plain compared to my younger sibling. My mother's raven hair fell just below my shoulders and rather than her and Edvin's fair skin mine was a shade darker, more olive, and my eyes large and a plain brown. Traits I assumed came from my real father. Mother never spoke much of him, said he was drowned when a ship was lost to the large rocks in a strom, and that was that. Edvin captured her interests when I was just a year old or so and Astrid soon born not long after.

Her voice drew me to the present.

"How can you be so logical and level headed?" Anaid leaned against the soft plaid thrown across her husband's shoulder and gave out a tired sigh. "You sound so much like Astrid sometimes… while Anora, that girl is always away with the fairies and—"

"Much like I know her mother to be." Edvin chuckled, earning a jab in the gut from my anamused mother.

"Yes but dear, the dragons won't come near her."

I didn't want to listen anymore.

"I'm here! I'm here!" I stepped around the staircase.

"Anora!" Mother narrowed her blue eyes, "You must hurry, change fix your hair and then gather your sister. We must be in the Great Hall soon."

Angry orange eyes turned into Astrid's and I suppressed a shiver.

Hurriedly I changed into the pale blue tunic that hugged around my bust rather uncomfortably and skirted to the floor. Laces were tied at the wrists and along my spine as a sash of plaid tied around my hips. I quickly brushed my thick hair into a simple braid and placed a few primroses in the dark strands. Such was customary at a wedding as a symbol of fertility and love. Mother must've picked them this morning. I touched my cheek and stared the reflection in the polished silver placed above my hearth. I supposed Astrid and I shared our mother's round face and nose. I then remembered my task at hand and tugged on cloth slippers and made my way to Astrid's door.

"Astrid?" I knocked. "I-It's me Anora, are you ready?"

"Come in." Her voice was breathy and so unlike herself.

When I opened the door I looked to see my younger sister bathed in a soft white tunic. It trailed to floor with fabric pooling behind her, the bodice tight, and sleeves fell loosely around her elbows that were cuffed with gold thread. The town seamstress even stitched knots and what looked like dragons interlinking with the same gold thread at the hem of her skirt. Her blonde hair pinned in loose braids as the rest fell in a curls I assumed she had to wrap the night before. A crown of primroses finished her ensemble.

She looked beautiful and I told her so.

"I just, Anora what if I can't do this?" Astrid paced and tugged at her sleeves. "What if I'm not ready to be the chief's wife? What if I'm not ready to leave home, what if—"

"Astrid calm down." I laughed, placing my hands atop of hers to stop the fidgeting. "You and Hiccup will be fine, I promise."

I suddenly thought about how this would be the last time she would be here in our home. The last conversation we would have in this room, with me, with mother and Edvin just beneath. It was surreal.

"I'm sorry." Astrid sniffed.

I raised a brow. Astrid hardly cried.

"Are you okay with… with me marrying before you?" Her pretty blue eyes fluttered away from mine. "I know sometimes people say older sisters get jealous and I don't want you thinking that you are any less because—"

"People meaning Ruffnut?" I rolled my eyes. "I still love you're annoying nosy self all the same."

"I love your stubborn weird self as well." Astrid turned her wrists and captured my hands. "And things will get better."

I knew what she was referring to, the whole dragons treating me as if I was an eel that slithered out of the water to provoke them situation. It was no secret to the village much less my family.

"I'm sure." I lied.

"Can you keep a secret?" Astrid's familiar smirk now bloomed across her features.

"Uh… sure."

"I'm pretty sure Anora, I think I'm pregnant." Her eyes lit up.

"What!?"

"Shh! Keep you're voice down would you?"

"Sorry, it's just…" I adverted my gaze to her slender stomach, not realizing there was a small bump developing just above her hips. "Really?"

"I'm not completely convinced but I haven't bled in many weeks." Astrid spared a glance at her reflection. "I'm afraid I'm showing."

"Hiccup is going to pass out." I snorted, poorly concealing my laughter under my sister's haughty gaze.

"This isn't funny." She huffed, folding her arms and turned away from me to face her reflection fully.

"No, you're right." I cleared my throat and stood next to her, our eyes connecting in our reflections. Light met with brown, golden hair against black, her shoulder just where my chin was. "This is wonderful."

"Promise you'll visit?" Astrid dropped her head, the flower crown tilting just ever to the right.

"Why wouldn't I?" I nudged her, lifting her chin and stretched on my tiptoes to straighten her flowers that I supposed she didn't really need anymore. "Now let's go get you married to Peg-leg."

"You still call him that!?"


End file.
